PEBAT – Bird Watching

This data layer is the Bird Watching Metric of the Parcel Environment Benefit Assessment Tool (PEBAT). It was developed by the University of Minnesota. PEBAT was created to assist in the prioritization of public land acquisitions in Minnesota. It uses the 40-acre public land survey parcels as summary units and has 11 metrics. The Bird Watching Metric predicts areas that have high quality bird habitat and high usage rates among bird watchers. Bird watching is a popular recreational activity in Minnesota. Knowing which areas have both high habitat value and are popular among bird watchers allows land managers to prioritize projects in these areas.